Department 57: Rubies of Fire (22 page)

“I’ll brief you all when I know more. Candy isn’t getting time off. Nor are any of the computer staff at the Department. They have a lot of garbage to sift through before they can find the gold, but gold there is. I’m sure of it. They just have to establish a pattern, and we can go to work. When I know more, you’ll know.” Cristos, who looked as though he’d never abused a suit in his life, shoved his fisted hands in his pockets, making the fabric bulge out of shape. Andreas almost winced. Such a perfect example of the tailor’s art didn’t deserve treatment like that.

Ellie! “Where’s Ellie? How has she taken all this?”

Cristos’s expression softened. “She took it badly at first, wanted to take all the blame. When I told her it wasn’t her, it was Jenna, she needed some persuading.” Typical of Cristos to take time off from a punishing schedule and urgent appointments to reassure a frightened and insecure teenager. He’d probably given her much more time than he had to spare. “I’ll bring her to visit as soon as she feels ready. And as soon as you feel ready, Fabrice.”

“I’m ready,” Fabrice said softly. “If the poor kid is worrying, the sooner the better. She’s as much Jenna’s victim as I am.”

Andreas felt an unaccustomed blast of sentimentality. Ellie had gone through far too much in her early years. She deserved some downtime. Fabrice had been generous, though. Nobody had suffered from this more than he had. In Fabrice’s place, he would have wanted Ellie dead. Maybe that was the vampire in him talking. Perhaps he had some natural vampire instincts, after all.

His thoughts had taken him off guard, and somehow he found himself staring into Roz’s fathomless eyes.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Give me another chance!”
He no longer cared who heard him. His fierce empathy with the orphaned teenager had driven him to make the wrong decision. He’d never forgive himself. Pleading seemed the only thing left for him to do.

“No.”
The single word came calmly and dispassionately into his mind, but for a brief moment, the time it took for her to open up and say it into the depths of his being, he saw the grief and turmoil at the heart of her. He’d hurt her badly, as she had hurt him. Not that he didn’t deserve it. He deserved every stinging word. He just wanted her to say them, throw them all at his head so he could accept his punishment. Then there might be a chance for their relationship. They could go on.

He wanted Roz even when she despised him, wanted her as though he’d taken the Spanish fly instead of Fabrice. The ache deep inside wanted, needed to feel her in his arms, her skin connecting with his so he could be whole again, complete. He couldn’t do anything about it except try to ignore it and hope the ache went away, given time.

She was looking at him as though he’d crawled out from under a rock. “Do you particularly need me, Cristos?” she asked, her voice hard and unyielding.

“Why? Have you something better to do?”

“Yes, I have.”

“What?” Andreas surprised himself by the hoarseness of his tone.

“I have a wedding to go to. Nancy’s, and maybe my own.” She tilted her chin up. She’d never looked more beautiful. Dressed simply as Roz always was, nothing detracted from her beauty.

“You’re marrying one of those men?”

She shrugged. “I’m thinking about it. I could do a lot worse.” So she intended to marry one of the two Gardiner vampires? He couldn’t remember which one.

“Yeah, you could. I hope he looks after you.”

Her chin went up a fraction more. “Sure he will.”

Someone cleared his throat. Leon, a thick black brow fractionally higher than usual. “You’re rescheduling this assignment, Cristos?”

“I have no choice. It’s changed since we began it. By the end of the week I’ll have more idea of where we stand, some names to make a start on. I’ll keep you all in the loop. Meantime, consider yourselves off duty. We could all do with a few days’ R and R.”

The visitors dispersed after that. Roz left without looking back at Andreas, and he tried hard not to care. He forced a smile for Fabrice once they were alone again. “So it’s London for us. Should I start calling you ‘mate’ and practice my accent?”

Fabrice smiled back, and this time he seemed more relaxed. “Better not. The English like an American accent, just as we like the English one. It’s different, a touch of the exotic.”

Andreas snorted. His wouldn’t describe his accent like that.

Fabrice’s face turned solemn once more. “But I want you to reconsider.”

Again the hurt, again the careful shielding. Used to feeling Fabrice’s mind in his, Andreas finally realized that wasn’t going to happen. Not ever again, but his reactions would remain for a long time. “Reconsider what?”

“Going to London. You should think about Roz.”

“What’s there to think about? We slept together a few times. Obviously I wasn’t to her liking, because she’s most definitely moved on.”

Fabrice lifted his hand, but let it drop back onto the covers. “You think so?”

“I know so. I communicated with her privately. She said no. Then she shut me out. She’s done with me.”

“But you aren’t done with her, are you?”

Andreas knew exactly what Fabrice was getting at. “No, but I’ll have to try to get over her. Otherwise what would it be?”

“Stalking?” said Fabrice with a small, melancholy smile. “Oh, I know what that feels like. But if you’re on this side of the Atlantic, you might still have a chance.”

“You heard her. She’s getting married.”

“Wait until you know for sure.”

Andreas’s mouth flattened. “That shouldn’t take long. She has her groom all lined up. She was promised to him before our little fling.”

“An arranged marriage? Do vampires go for that?”

Fabrice’s look of blank astonishment drew a reluctant laugh from Andreas. “No, but this was something she agreed to. You know there’s a problem with vampire fertility?”

Fabrice nodded.

“Well, the Gardiners are even worse off than the other families. They have few womenfolk, and it sounds as if the elders have decided to do something about it before they start to die out. So they’re gently pressuring their women into marriages most likely to produce little vampires.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

An involuntary sneer curved his mouth. “Nothing. I can do the business, but you know what I am, Fabrice. A vampire with no family. No support, no wealth, no influence to bring to the Gardiners. I’m the lowest kind of vampire you can get. I’ve always known that, and it’s never concerned me before. I do okay.”

“Go after her, Andreas. Give it all you’ve got. Then, if she still says no, come to London. Although I’d rather go on my own.”

“Why?” Andreas fought the feeling of uselessness and won. Ever since he’d come into contact with vampire society, they’d made it clear he was low in the pecking order. Before, it had only made him more determined to succeed on his own terms, and he’d done that in spades—money in the bank, a comfortable home, a worthwhile career. But his situation had helped to lose Roz. All the misery of his early teenage years returned to haunt him, the feelings of worthlessness, of doubt in himself. Cristos had tried to foster him to a vampire family, but as soon as he’d realized they did Andreas no good, he’d pulled him back and taken over guardianship himself. After the trauma of knowing he would never regain his early memories, he was all too ready to accept martyrdom. Until Cristos has shown him otherwise.

“I want to make a clean start. I don’t want to carry the legend of Fabrice the Mighty Sorcerer with me. I want to be Fabrice Germain. That’s all.” He fixed Andreas with his electric blue stare. “I need to do this on my own, see what I can make of my new life. There’s a lot of it left. But if I wanted anyone with me, it’d be you.”

“Thanks for that. Yeah, I can see what you’re getting at. You’ll let me come visit sometimes?”

“Sure. I insist on it.”

While Andreas understood what Fabrice was telling him, it still felt like rejection. Again. He’d had too much of that lately. Well, it was the story of his life. He’d cope. He always had. “Don’t think you get rid of me that easily.”

“Wouldn’t want to. I just need some time to get my head together on all this.” Fabrice’s smile was much firmer than it had been earlier that day. “Okay?”

Andreas sighed. “Okay.”

* * * *

“Never mind, hon. Forget Andreas. Think about the future, what you’ve got ahead of you.”

Roz smiled wanly at Nancy. “Sure. I’ll get over it.”

“Yeah,” agreed Don from the other side of her. “Just a passing thing, eh?” He gave her a swift hug. Roz had to force herself not to shrug him off. She didn’t want anyone to touch her.

All Roz wanted was to get well and truly loaded, just to forget for a few hours. It would stop hurting soon; she knew that. It seemed Andreas was headed out the country in any case. She’d just made the inevitable break a few months early. She didn’t believe in long-term relationships, even for vampires. So why did she feel so bad? She’d had affairs before. Why was this one different?

It just was. But she’d survive; she’d manage. She always did. Smiling at Nancy and Don, she crossed the living area in the direction of her bedroom.

“Hey, Roz, did you mean that about marrying a Gardiner? Marshall wants you, you know. He’ll try to claim you if you don’t object.”

She considered the possibility. Marshall would befriend her, take her out, and if they liked each other, claim her in front of witnesses. In the old days vampire males would claim a woman without her knowledge, but the women had refused to put up with that shit anymore. The whole thing was still a bit too macho for her, but she liked Marshall, and what did she have to lose?

She turned around, a bright smile on her face. “I don’t like all this claiming nonsense, but sure, why not? I’ve known him a while. I could try to make a baby with him.”

As though on cue, Marshall flashed in. Nancy gave Roz a bright smile. “He asked my permission to visit earlier today. Chat to Marshall while I get changed, and we’ll go out somewhere.”

“Sure. Sounds like fun.” Roz considered Marshall. He appeared undeniably attractive and potent. She’d always liked a man with long hair, and he was keen for her. The air around him exuded pleasure, excitement caused by her presence. A typical vampire courting gesture, but nonetheless powerful.

This could be fun. An old-fashioned date with an old-fashioned vampire. So different from the macho attempt to and abduct them. But of course, if he could get what he wanted without forcing it, they’d both be happier. Wouldn’t they?

Chapter Fifteen

Andreas walked into the DIB the next afternoon for what he fervently hoped would be the last time. Today he wore comfortable clothes. No more itchy, cheap suits and polyester shirts. He’d relegated them to the bottom of his closet. He hoped he’d never need them again. But come another day, come another assignment. He could never be sure.

The navy blue wool, custom-made suit and dark red silk shirt he wore didn’t feel as good as Roz’s skin next to his, but they felt a fuck of a lot more comfortable than the other stuff. He walked instead of slouching, lifted his chin instead of avoiding people’s gazes. And he was packing—one reason for wearing this suit, designed to accommodate a shoulder holster without showing the bulge.

He had to stop thinking about her or he’d go crazy. At least after today he wouldn’t have to walk into this place, reminding himself of her previous place of work, teasing him with elusive remnants of her scent, her presence.

The elevator’s doors squeaked open, and he entered the small compartment with several of his coworkers. They stared.

One of his coworkers, one he’d taken for a drink early in their acquaintance, scanned him and smirked at him. “Come into some money?” He nodded at the suit rather than Andreas. That guy had a lower opinion of women than anyone Andreas’d ever met.

Andreas took his time, gave him a slow once-over, and was gratified when the bastard blushed, very slowly. It started at his neck, where the collar of his white shirt dug in uncomfortably, and crept up to his forehead via cheeks. It didn’t stop until he’d flushed a deep, unbecoming beetroot.

“Enough to buy shirts the right size,” Andreas said. The doors pinged. Nodding affably to the other people in the car, Andreas left the elevator.

That felt good. What felt better was walking past the row of cubicles where his coworkers sat. He felt the movements, heard the creak of seats, the sharp feminine gasps, but he didn’t look around until he came to the cubicle where the tap of long nails on a keyboard drew him to glance around. “Candy? I thought you were going home?” Vague enough for any eavesdropper to misunderstand, but close enough for her to understand his meaning.

Her eyes were green to match her nails. “Morning, tiger. I’m just finishing up.”
“Sealing the holes, making sure nobody knows what I’ve been doing here, sending files to the cloud so I can pick them up later. Most are gone, but there’re a few I missed. I like to be thorough.”

“Cristos tell you why I’m here?”

Her fingers moving busily over the keyboard without pause, she found time to glance up at him.
“Yes, he did.”
“Call me if you need me. Or do you need me now?”

He shook his head. “No. But better get a move on. I want to be out of here in ten.”

She winked and returned to her work. “Sure thing, boss.”

That girl would sass a dragon. Probably did, considering her other form.

Bernard Knox’s secretary was buttoned up, middle-aged, and humorless, but even she did a double take when Andreas walked in. “What have you done to yourself? You look gorgeous!” Blushing, she clapped a hand over her mouth.

Reminded of Miss Moneypenny, he walked over to her desk and perched on the corner, leaning down to feather a flirtatious kiss on the top of her head. Might as well go with the character. “If I’d known you’d be waiting for me, I’d have made the effort when I first came here.”

“Constant! In here!”

Leaving the grinning secretary, who swatted at him as he left, he headed for his erstwhile boss’s office.

Knox stood behind his desk, glaring at him, beefy arms braced on the glass surface. Andreas hoped it was safety glass because if he ever broke through, there’d be enough gore to feed a vampire for weeks. His direct gaze didn’t waver one bit. “Close the door, Constant.”